Today, I get to introduce Katie Lewis' new book!
Katie, who blogs at the red kitchen, has just launched her first book, "Simple Sewing: 30 Fast & Easy Projects For Beginners" and I am very happy to be part of her publicity blog tour. I'll be doing an overview of the book, explaining whom it was written for, and showcasing one of the projects in it, ikatbag style.
At the end of the post, I'll be giving away one copy of her book and two remade book project samples. I'll also be telling you where you can buy her book and listing a couple of other blogs you can visit for more reviews and chances to win copies of it. Sound good?
So, let me tell you about Katie's new book!
What's in it?
30 projects for beginning seamstresses, from six functional categories: Accessories, Home, Celebrations, Baby, School days, and Toys. Each project is accompanied by color photographs and step-by-step instructions on how to make it. In the preparatory section at the front of the book are sewing tips for beginners, short introductory paragraphs to the 5 kinds of fabric used for the projects, and commentary on basic sewing techniques, equipment and materials. 
Of the 30 projects, 21 are rectangular or square and do not require templates, one is a hand-threaded garland and 7 require templates on account of their curved sides and/or otherwise un-quadrilateral shape. The full-sized templates are found at the back of the book as attached pages and can either be traced or photocopied. Most of the projects are completed entirely on the sewing machine; only 3 have hand-stitching as part or all of their construction process.
Where machine-stitching is required, the projects employ only the straight stitch; no zig-zag or other decorative machine stitches are used. Each project (where applicable) is made with a lining so that there is no need to finish seam allowances with a serger or by any method other than hiding them within the double layers. As a result, quite a few of her projects are naturally reversible.
Where can I buy it?
Three places:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books & Things
Who's it for?
The projects are simple enough for beginners and older kids learning to sew. I'd have loved to have gotten Emily to review this book and sew a project from it but you know how busy 9-year-olds are these days, with their full social calendars and extra-curricular pursuits and other pressing hobbies. Beginners can enjoy the practice from the similar method of construction and finishing shared by many of the projects. This, consequently, has the potential to build their confidence as they complete multiple projects within relatively familiar territory with increasing ease.
What if I'm not a beginner?
Good question. I'm not a beginner. Many of my readers aren't beginning seamstresses, either. However, let me tell you one reason for why beginners' projects are awesome: they're great basics, and everybody works with basics at some level - to embellish, adapt, modify, personalize. To demonstrate what I mean, I made one of Katie's projects - the ubiquitous fabric lunch sack.
It's a classic basic - a handle-less reversible darted bag. Beautiful in its simplicity. Beginners can make it. And embroider it. Or add straps to it. Or change its dimensions. Or layer on applique. Or quilt it.
Or turn it into a fabric version of a dry bag - you know, those waterproof sacks beloved by scuba divers, snorkelers, jetskiers and other watersport people?
Here's the mini-tutorial:
First, you make Katie's lunch sack - I used a cotton-linen blend for the outside and robust canvas for the inside. Then you add some bag-making paraphernalia that you can buy at most fabric stores:
nylon webbing and a plastic buckle, along with a little bit of grosgrain ribbon to seal the ends of the webbing. Use a long enough strip of webbing so that it's twice the width of the lunch sack, plus 8" because it's going to encircle the mouth of of the sack and leave sticky-out side bits that become the handle.
Separate the buckle halves and slide them onto the webbing. Then prepare to join the ends of the webbing to make a closed loop.
I'm using bright blue grosgrain ribbon for visibility but the finished product has that black ribbon, okay? Bring the ends of the webbing together and trim the ribbon so that just enough is left to wrap those ends.
Flip it over (use glue if you must, but I didn't) and sew a rectangle to hold the ends together within the ribbon band.
Then take Katie's lunch sack and draw a line about 1" from the top edge, all around the sack.
You're going to slip that webbing loop, with its buckle halves on opposite ends, over the sack. Align the ribbon band thing with the middle of one side of the sack.
See how the webbing loop is bigger than the circumference of the sack? Now sew a rectangle on the webbing to attach it to one side of the sack. Use your machine's free arm or sew with the sack inside out, but sew only through one side of the sack, so you're not sewing the opening shut. Size your rectangle so that the short ends are about 1/4" from the edge of the sack. Then flip the entire sack over and repeat to sew the other side of the webbing to the other side of the sack.
Now sew a smaller rectangle on the webbing that sticks out from the sides of the sack. Sew through both layers of webbing.
Your webbing-graft should look like this.
And this is your finished lunch-sack-with-dry-bag-style-strap-closure,
which folds closed thus:
after which the buckle is snapped together.
Ta da! Handle and opening-fastener all in one.
Oh, the things you can do with a great basic!
And do you know what else you can do with a great basic?
Answer: experiment with fabric
(and no, I don't mean print).
Here - let me show you what this can become in (from L to R)
Polypropylene (PP) Spun-Bonded Non-Woven Fabric aka shopping bag fabric,
oilcloth-and-laminated-cotton,
cotton-linen-and-canvas, and
neoprene.
Note that these aren't real waterproof dry bags, which are made with vinyl and have sealed seams to keep the water out. These bags above are fabric facsimiles, with needle holes and everything, but they're still pretty edgy. And they're made from the same basic lunch sack.
This one is extra light-weight and totally crushable
this one is lunch-proof and wipe-clean
and this one is insulated
and cushiony and fun to toss around.
And now it's time for the giveaways!
Katie is giving away one free copy of her book a lucky ikatbag reader! The giveaway is open only to US shipping addresses, and to enter, you'll need to sign up on the rafflecopter widget below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
There are three ways to enter:
Pin this book on Pinterest
Like Katie's facebook page
Like my Pinterest page
The giveaway lasts for a week and Katie will pick a winner at the end of the week.
I'm also giving away these two lunch sacks to celebrate the launch of Katie's new book!
International friends are eligible to enter this one, because I will ship anywhere in the world. To enter, just leave a comment to this post filling in the blanks in this statement: "I've been sewing for ______ years and the sewing skill I (still) most want to learn is _______." as well as your name and an email address at which you can be contacted. Anonymous comments without an added name will not be entertained. I'll randomly pick two names at the end of one week i.e. Wednesday 20 November - one for each sack.
So TWO giveaways -
US residents enter the book giveaway on the rafflecopter widget , and
Everybody enters the two-lunch-sack giveaway by leaving the comment, your name and your email address.
Got it?
Also, go visit today's two other blog tour stops to see other projects from the book, plus more chances to win copies of it: Abby at Sew Much Ado and Melissa at Happy Quilting!
Congratulations, Katie, on your lovely new book - it is a labor of love well worth waiting for! I am so happy for you!
P.S. Today's lunch-sack giveaway is brought to you by Sarah, who recommended Jenelle's tutorial for fixing my missing comment-numbering. See- they're all fixed! So I can do giveways again! Thank you, Sarah and Jenelle!